New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has lodged a fresh case against Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on charges of declaring an Rs 11 crore reward for stopping Prime Minister Narendra Modi from hoisting the tricolour on Independence Day. He also “unveiled a map of new Khalistan which includes Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh”, according to the NIA FIR.
Pannun, who is general counsel of the banned outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) has been booked on charges of promoting secessionism of Punjab from India and establishing Khalistan—a separate state for Sikhs.
The latest FIR against Pannun, made public Tuesday, was lodged last month, around a week after the Ministry of Home Affairs alerted the NIA about credible information regarding Pannun virtually addressing a press conference held at the Lahore Press Club on 10 August. In this virtual address from Washington DC, Pannun allegedly offered Rs 11 crore to any Sikh soldier who stops the Prime Minister of India from hoisting the Tricolour at Red Fort on Independence Day, the MHA informed the NIA.
“And whereas, during the Press Meet, he also unveiled SFJ’s new ‘Delhi Banayga Khalistan’ Referendum Map which incorporates Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi into envisioned Khalistan,” the MHA further told the NIA, the FIR states.
Based on the disclosure from the MHA, the NIA booked Pannun and unknown others under section 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Pannun made headlines last year after the United States alleged the involvement of a former Indian official in a plot to kill the Sikh separatist on American soil. Indian national Nikhil Gupta is currently lodged in a US prison on charges of murder-for-hire in the alleged assassination plot. Former R&AW officer Vikas Yadav is a co-accused.
“Based on credible information and video retrieved from @SFJ_US_Official channel of X formerly known as twitter, on 10th August 2025, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, General Counsel of the Unlawful Association, Sikh for Justice (SFJ), has declared reward to prevent Prime Minister of India from hoisting tricolor at Red Fort New Delhi on 15th August, 2025,” reads the latest NIA FIR.
“He has unveiled a map of new Khalistan which includes Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. He has declared that SFJ has formed a Shaheed Jatha to fight against India. By doing so he has indulged in activities for disrupting sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of India and spread disaffection among Sikhs against India,” the FIR further states.
The latest FIR marks the seventh such case against Pannun and his outfit by the NIA, India’s counterterrorism agency. The last case by the NIA was registered in November 2023, when Pannun had issued threats against Air India and threatened to take over Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport.
Pannun, a dual citizen of the United States and Canada, was declared an individual terrorist by the government of India under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, in 2020.
According to records from the state police forces and the NIA, Pannun had 96 cases registered against him and his outfit, SFJ. These cases were lodged over threats issued by him, ranging from blowing up the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the ODI World Cup to a voice note received at the residence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warning about bids to bomb Parliament and Red Fort etc attributed to Pannun.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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